hour. who am i to judge? the pope with what is being called break-through comments on the role of gays in the catholic church. plus, why the officer caught on this now infamous video pepper spraying occupy protesters at uc davis is now saying he deserves workers' comp. but first, the news nation is following two developing stories is involving the stability of the middle east. first in egypt today, thousands of members of the muslim brotherhood are ignoring calls by the military to stop their protests, risking more violent confrontations after a bloody weekend that left at least 72 people dead. it is the worst violence on the streets of cairo since former president hosni mubarak was overthrown in 2011. secretary of state john kerry called egypt's interim prime minister to urge restraint as the obama administration faces growing calls to suspend the $1.5 billion in aid sent to egypt every year.

all of this, of course, is unfolding just as secretary kerry announced a significant achievement in another part of the middle east. the resumption of peace talks between israelis and palestinians. >> this effort began with president obama's historic trip to israel and ramallah in march of this year. without his commitment, without his conversations there, and without his engagement in this initiative, we would not be here today. >> negotiations will begin this evening in washington and will continue through tomorrow. the breakthrough was made possible by israel's decision yesterday to free more than 100 long-held palestinian prisoners. in a statement just a few hours ago, president obama said, quote, during my march visit to the region, i experienced first hand the profound desire for peace among both israelis and palestinians, which re-enforced my belief that peace is both possible and necessary. leading the process will be

former u.s. ambassador to israel martin indig. i want to begin our coverage right now with developing news out of cairo. the people there are bracing for possibly another protest despite the warnings from the military. >> reporter: that's correct. the sit-in protest that's been organized by the anti-coup coalition, this umbrella organization opposed to the military ouster of mohr circumstances every night they head out from this main sit-in location to various parts of cairo. sometimes they're going out into the streets. sometimes they're going to government buildings. yesterday they went to the military intelligence headquarters. police are becoming more and more confrontational in trying to contain them and keep them in this area. tonight they are calling for another similar march to honor those that died over the weekend. that's why we could see in the coming hours the kind of violence we saw earlier on

friday and saturday just a few days it ago. against that backdrop, there are also concerns that it the police are becoming more robust in the way it confronts these protesters, using live allegati ammunition sometimes. that's what's causing anxiety. >> the level of violence over the weekend we've witnessed and that could happen again this evening, many are saying that this has perhaps ended any hope of a reconciliation between these two sides at this point. >> reporter: that's absolutely correct. in fact, negotiations between the muslim brotherhood and the military have been stalled ever since president morsi was ousted. that is why the head of the eu foreign policy is here in town. she's holding meetings with both the interim government as well as military leaders as well as representatives from the anti-coup coalition. she's hoping to try to bridge the divide. right now the big concern is that the police and the military

say they're going to break up that sit-in protest that has thousands of people in it every night. the concern is if these negotiations fail, the police and the military may feel they have the legal green light to break it up. that could mean more violence. there are those within the government, some notable figures within the government, to express great concern that they don't want to see police and the military to break up this process, the sit-in. they want to bring the muslim brotherhood back into the political process. that's what they think would be the best way for national reconciliation. >> all right, ayman. i know we'll bring our audience any developing news of this protest we're expecting. joining me now our tel aviv nbc news correspondent and from washington, joel rubin and "time" magazine's michael crowley. joel, i'll start off with you focusing on egypt. human rights groups have said many of those killed over the weekend were shot in the head or chest and the killings took

place over several hours. according to politico, the new york-based group reviewed extensive video footage of the events. basically, in a sense, implying a massacre of many of these poem who are armed with makeshift armor and even helmets as the military pointed rifles at them. some of the video cannot be confirmed. nevertheless, 82 people and you have a secretary of state here saying this country is on the brink. >> yes, tamron. the administration's been very patient and been reaching out to the egyptian authorities. we're witnessing a struggle here that does have deep roots. the military, the security forces, they have been at odds with the muslim brotherhood for decades. this latest episode and the violence that is in the streets does undercut some of the rationale the generals provided when they moved out morsi. they do need to get back to a process and try to ensure that that process is paegsful and that it's inclusive, otherwise we're going to see further

repercussions, certainly here in washington as the debate is right now very hot. >> michael, as i mentioned, you have people focused on the billions of dollars in aid sent from the u.s. to egypt as this chaos continues. with secretary kerry calling for meaningful political dialogue, which seems impossible when you hear ayman's report and what could happen even this afternoon or this evening there. >> yes, and you know, we'll continue to make those calls. the u.s. does have some influence there. i think a lot of americans may overestimate how much influence we do have. $1.5 billion is a large sum for us to be giving. they are our number two recipient of foreign aid. that number is really dwarfed by the assistance egypt is getting right now from some of their neighbors, arab countries like saudi arabia. there are a lot of -- there's a lot of bad blood towards the united states right now. we supported mubarak for a long

time. he was very unpopular. it's not like washington can come in and say this is how things should be and everyone is going to listen. >> let's talk about the talks headed this evening. obviously, timing is everything. i was struck by a statement in "the washington post" from a palestinian spokesperson who says that the talks will be more difficult. the conditions are more difficult than previous. the direct quote was, but i think there is a recognition of the urgency. if we don't move fast and decisively, things could fall apart. what indications that this time is the right time? >> well, there are indications, tamron, that things are very much the same as they have been for 20 years in terms of what's at stake of the peace process. what hasn't changed it the most that one side in these talks is willing to offer falls far short

of the least the other side is willing to accept. take the issue of the 1967 border for example. the palestinians want to return to the 1967 borders, want a return of the land israel took from them in the 1967 war. prime minister netanyahu says that's not going to happen. he sees the 1967 border as indefensible. he's given us no reason to think he's prepared to sacrifice israel's security on that front for a peaceful resolution. >> but as you point out, just the jump start of this and some of the things that are immediately on the table are of concern have already faced opposition. benjamin netanyahu's decision to release some of these prisoners, there was a headline in the daily paper. the murderers will be released. he was able to push through this move to release the prisoners in an attempt to -- i don't know if the proper word is good faith, but certainly an attempt to move this forward in a solid way.

how is it being received overall from what you've observed? >> well, benjamin netanyahu said it was a really tough decision, really tough on the families. he's releasing prisoners who have killed israeli citizens in the course of the last three or four decades. when cabinet voted in favor of the decision yesterday, outside there were protesters, people, families holding up, you know, bloodied hands, accusing the israeli government of betraying it the memory of those people that have died. i have to have say, i think mainstream israeli opinion will recognize the need for this prisoner release as a kind of signal of good faith ahead of the talks which get underway tonight in washington. i should say, though, i talked to a member of the palestinian leadership this afternoon. they said that the release of the prisoners was something that had been agreed in oslo 20 years

ago and they're dressing up an old commitment to progress these talks. >> and it all falls back to the constant conversation of border and where the united states stands, what the united states is willing to support in any movement there. >> that's right. i think it comes back to a large degree to president barack obama. he has hung back thus far in this process. he has let kerry take the lead. there's some theorizing in washington that he more or less said give it a try, john, if you want. he's skeptical, having been basically burned by his first try at the peace process in his first team. and that obama will kind of step in if it looks like things are starting to get serious. but for a deal to happen, it may require the white house, for president obama to stick his neck out and present the outlines of a plan to get specific on what the borders might be like and risk some political capital on it.

that's the key question, but it's a very tough question, and it's a question that burned the president if his first term. it will be very interesting to see when and how -- i know he made a kind of pro forma statement today, but when and how he really gets more involved and puts something on the line there. >> well, the '67 border formula, joel, we've heard the president, his views is on this. back to what michael pointed out regarding kerry's involvement. we know behind the scenes he's been working to get to this point. how do you see his role, if this is to be a successful gesture and we might see some kind of resolution in the next six to nine months? at least that's some of the estimates i've read. >> yes, tamron. kerry's involvement has been quite masterful. what we've seen is a secretary of state grab control of this issue and go, in a sense, behind closed doors and get the leaders to agree that not only are they going to start negotiations, but they're also going to keep quiet the details surrounding those negotiations.

in addition to that, he's building the political space around this. the american jewish community, for instance, is often very vocal in the first term in regards to the peace process. this time it's very much in support. the arab league, as well, modified a statement in support of middle east peace that it had made ten years ago and updated it, calling for 57 muslim states to have peace with israel. we're seeing a fuller orchestration. kerry's involvement means the state department will be mobilized. it means he can tap the president when he needs to. and it's setting a good baseline for the renewal of talks. >> joel, michael, garain, thank you so much. i appreciate it. still ahead, fast food workers unite and walk right off the job. this happening right now in more than a half dozen cities. they are demanding livable wages. it comes as an alarming new

survey came out over the weekend. it shows how many americans will face poverty at some point in their lives. we will show you these numbers. plus, reaction to pope francis' comments reaching out to the gay community saying, quote, who am i to judge? is this a new direction for the catholic church? you can weigh in because it's our "news nation" gut check. you can join our conversation throughout the hour. let us know anything reasonable on your mind @tamronhall and @newsnation. [ ship horn blows ] no, no, no! stop! humans. one day we're coming up with the theory of relativity, the next... not so much. but that's okay -- you're covered with great ideas like optional better car replacement from liberty mutual insurance. total your car and we give you the money to buy one a model year newer. learn about it at libertymutual.com. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?

you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec® love the air. the beach on your tv is much closer than it appears. seize the summer with up to 50% off hotels at travelocity.

okay, a? b? b. a? that's a great choice. let me show you some faucets to go along with that. with the latest styles and guaranteed low prices, you can turn the bath you have into the bath you want. good choice. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, this abbey vanity combo is a special buy. just $299.

thousands of fast food workers in several cities including new york and chicago have walked off their jobs today protesting low wages. >> we are here -- >> we are here -- >> fighting for change.

>> workers from many of the nation's most popular fast food restaurants including mcdonald's and burger king, all calling for a living wage of $15 an hour. all of this is part of a growing movement that started last fall in new york. it's now expanded to seven cities. >> i'm still completely broke. even with living with my mother, imagine all of my fellow workers who are trying to support families on the same wage that i get. it's completely impossible. >> in a multibillion dollar industry where they are making record profits, literally billions and billions in profits, the workers on the bottom are making poverty wages. >> well, the protests come as a survey finds four out of five adults struggle with joblessness and near poverty or have relied on welfare in some part of their life. according to "the new york times," 28 million americans, that is one in five, by the way, earn less than $10 an hour. president obama discussed the income inequality in an

interview with "the new york times." >> there was a sense of not upward mobility in the abstract. it was part and parcel of who we were as americans. and that's what's been eroding over the last 20, 30 years. well before the financial crisis. >> and joining me now live, washington post business reporter michael fletcher. michael, thank you for your time. >> my pleasure. >> let's first discuss this movement. here you've got about a dozen cities, major cities as i pointed out. you have these workers who say they want wages of $15 an hour. this is what they're calling for. we heard it from one worker. she said, i don't have kids, but many of these people have children, they're working double jobs, and ends are not meeting. they're not even coming close. >> not close. how can you, you know, making $8, $9 an hour in some cases? as you pointed out, one in five workers in this country make

under $10 an hour. slightly under $20,000 a year. so this movement, i think, they're trying to sort of demonstrate the importance of the work they do and sort of make the point there's nothing that intrinsic about restaurant work or fast food restaurant work that says it has to be low paying. these are huge industries. they want to point this out to people. >> in the "new york times" op ed steven green wrote, many low-paid workers feel their employers have put an invisible ceiling on their wages with little prospect of ever making more than $10 or $11 an hour. corporations have focused on keeping wages competitive and maximizing profits. the richest americans have benefitted mightily from corporate america's record profits, and the stock market's repeated highs. when you look at some of the advancement -- and we're talking about in 2012 the estimate was 2.9 million people are working

in food prep and service workers, including fast food. when you look at even, you know, the ability to move up the ladder doesn't exist with many of these workers. so there's no -- not even a growth potential for so many of these people. >> i think that's exactly right. they essentially have no leverage. that's what they're trying to create now, by organizing, by walking out together. at least then there could be some leverage and maybe some means to demand more from their employers. not only do they suffer from low wages, they often have erratic hours. 30 hours one week, 20 hours the next. that sort of thing. it's not just fast food workers. it's retail clerks in many cases. it's people who work in nursing homes and that kind of thing. the irony is if you look at the fastest growing professions in this country, many of those are those low-wage professions. these people want to build a leverage where they can make demands of their employers to get a bigger piece of the pie. >> let me play a little bit of what the president said last wednesday when he discussed the

minimum wage and the war to increase it. >> i am going to keep making the case that we need to raise the minimum wage because it's lower right now than it was when ronald reagan took office. it's time for the minimum wage to go up. >> the minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. many of these workers, michael, who were out picketing, they're not a part of a union. that's a part of their demand right now. they want to form a union without fear of retaliation. the service employees international union provided money for these campaigns and helping to organize the strikes, but these folks are not unionized. they don't have the protection that once existed for workers, especially those who were basically the working poor that the unions provided. >> that's absolutely right. we've seen a dwindling share of private sector workers in this country who are members of unions. people have their critiques of unions, of course, but the fact is that wages went up much more when -- go up more when people are unionized, when they're organized. they get better benefits and

that sort of thing. fast food work, unlike other sectors, the manufacturing sector is highly unionized and pays more and has been kind of a backlash. people saying, well, we have to hold wages down to be competitive internationally. fast food work cannot be outsourced. it's something that will remain in the united states, obviously, because it's performed here and the service is all in front of you. they think there's potential here for unionization and for sort of building the kind of leverage that will increase wages over time. >> well, obviously these protests we saw, there were thousands of people. they're not the size, at least as of yet, as the occupy movement. might we see more of that as these working poor demand their voice be heard, and it is not a college student or high school kid trying to pick up an extra few bucks. these are people trying to feed their families. >> exactly. you know, you have that group. you'll have some high school kids obviously working fast food restaurants, some people early in college. as you point out, there are

many, many people who this is their bread and butter. this is the job they go to every day to support their families. i think you're going to see this movement grow slowly over time. i believe the momentum is clearly set. it also remains to be seen how much they'll be able to again from the strikes we've had so far. there have been isolated cases of some small wage increases, some improvements in schedule. nothing that you would call a major breakthrough. we'll have to see. >> all right, michael fletcher with "the washington post." thank you for your time. >> my pleasure. well, how could you forget this video? remember this? it went viral for all the wrong reasons in 2011. this was at uc davis. a police lieutenant casually dousing peaceful student protesters in the face with pepper spray. well, he was later fired. so why does he now say he deserves workers' comp for what went down there? plus -- >> when you are rand paul, actually comparing snowden to martin luther king or henry

david thoreau, this is madness. >> the people who want to criticize me and call names, they're precisely the same people who are unwilling to cut the spending, and they're gimme, gimme, gimme. >> presidential aspirations making for a perfect storm in the republican party. we'll get the first read. [ male announcer ] don't miss red lobster's four course seafood feast. choose your soup, salad, entree, plus dessert all just $14.99. come into red lobster, and sea food differently. right now, go to redlobster.com for $10 off 2 select entrees. good monday through thursday. and i have a massive heart attack right in my driveway. the doctor put me on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. go talk to your doctor. you're not indestructible anymore. is this where we do that bundling thing? let's see what you got. rv, covered.

-why would you pay for a hotel? -i never do. motorcycles, check. atv. i ride those. -do you? -no. boat. -house? -hello, dear. -hello. -hello. oh! check this -- [ hip hop music playing ] i'm going on break! the more you bundle, the more you save. now that's progressive. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, it could save you thousands in out-of-pocket costs. call now to request your free decision guide.

i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral. see why millions of people have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. don't wait. call now. o0 c1 as soon as you feelon it, try miralax. it works differently than other laxatives. it draws water into your colon to unblock your system naturally. don't wait to feel great. miralax. new kellogg's raisin bran® with omega 3 from flax seeds. plus plump juicy raisins. flax seed? who are you? i still got it. [ male announcer ] invest in your heart health with kellogg's raisin bran® cereals. [ male announcer ] invest in your heart health "first day of my life" by bright eyes

you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. in what "the new york times" calls a breathtakingly conciliatory approach to a hot-button issue that's divided catholics, pope francis said today he would not judge gay priests for their sexual orientation. the pope said, quote, if a person is gay, seeks god, and has goodwill, who am i to judge? the pope went on to say, quote, we should not marginalize people for this. the pontiff also said he wants

to expand the role of women in the catholic church. the pope's comments come as both issues have been winning widespread praise. they come a day after pope francis celebrated a mass on the beach in rio before 3 million people in his week-long visit to brazil. his trip was also highlighted by his outrage during a visit to one of the poorest areas of rio. joining me now in studio is a priest from trenton, new jersey. thank you for your time. >> good to be with you. >> let me get to the headline here. breaking news this morning that the pope had made these comments. what was your first reaction regarding the comments as it relates to gay priests? >> my first reaction is this is the teaching of the church. i also thought francis is the pope of the personal encounter. in his comments, he said when i speak to gay people, when i meet with gay people, so he's revealed to us he knows gay

people. we all know gay people. relatives, friends, co-workers. he's revealed to us he knows some also. he's had this personal encounter. everything that he does -- you see this all throughout his visit there to brazil. he's encountering people. he wants that one-on-one connection with people. the way he meets them, the place he meets them at is the place of mercy. >> in his choice of words, though, saying, you know, that who am i to judge? we often hear people who felt oppressed and downtrodden or looked down upon say, how can you judge me? that goes against christianity and who we are supposed to be, and he uses such an interesting and difficult words to argue with on any level, who are we to judge? >> well, he's echoing something he said a week ago. jesus says to the man of the lord, he says to the scholar, which of these three people, in your opinion, treated this person well? he said, the one who treated him

with mercy. then jesus says to the scholar of the lord, then go and do the same. and the whole life of the pope has been an arc of mercy from that first encounter when a eer encountered christ, which changed his life. it changed his that jrajectory e papacy. when he became a bishop, he chose that as his personal motto. god sees us with the eyes of mercy. >> this is consistent from all we've heard from him. i just got this in. the president of the human rights campaign, chad griffin, which is the nation's largest lesbian, gay, transgendered organization says is, while pope francis' words do not reflect a shift in church policy, they represent a significant change in tone. his humanity and respect for human dignity are showing through, and the widespread

positive response his words have received around the world reveal that catholics everywhere are thirsty for change. do you see that thirst for change? >> oh, sure. i think all of us do. i mean, he was chosen because he was a pastor. he exhibits that in everything that he does. as a pastor myself, we encounter people of all walks of life who come into our office who come for counseling, who come to confession, who desire to have a closer relationship with god. and we accept them where they are. we walk with them on the journey. that's what he does. he really mirrors that for all of us, for priests, bishops, cardinals, for the whole church. >> what about the role of women? the comments that he made regarding, i guess, increasing the role of women within the church. didn't make the headlines as it did his comments regarding gays, but nevertheless still very significant. >> it is significant. and it's important. we've had some gains under the ponti

pontiff of john paul ii. there needs to be more. that's what he said today on the plane. there needs to be a greater role for women and that he -- but he says not ordination. he says the door to that is closed. but that is not the only place where ministry takes place and where decisions are made. he spoke while he was in brazil to the bishops. when he spoke to the bishops, he told them, he said, we have to work better with the laity. we have to use more of the pastoral council, the finance council. in that, he said to them, you know, i don't think we've done that very well, and we need to improve on that. i think that's what he's looking for, a greater dialogue a greater encounter with a person, where they're at, and letting them know the mercy of god, the love of god is present for them where they are at in that moment in their life. >> father, thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> i really appreciate it. coming up, double trouble for the democratic party.

struggling to turn the page on two scandals, new york's anthony weiner says he doesn't care what pundits say while san diego's bob filner is counting down the days before he enters rehab for his behavior. pain... and a choice. take up to 4 advil in a day or 2 aleve for all day relief. [ male announcer ] that's handy. ♪ easy-to-use platform. no, thank you. we know you're always looking for the best fill price. and walk limit automatically tries to find it for you. just set your start and end price. and let it do its thing. wow, more fan mail. my uncle wanted to say thanks for idea hub. he loves how he can click on it and get specific actionable trade ideas with their probabilities throughout the day. [ male announcer ] open an account and get a $150 amazon.com gift card. call 1-888-280-0157 now. optionsxpress by charles schwab. these are sandra's "homemade"

yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one.

when you are rand paul actually comparing snowden to martin luther king or henry david thoreau, this is madness. this is the anti-war left-wing democrats of the 1960s that nominated george mcgovern and destroyed their party for almost 20 years. i don't want that happening to our party. >> the people who want to criticize me and call names, they're precisely the same people who are unwilling to cut the spending, and they're gi many, gimme, gimme, gimme all my money now. if they want to make me the target, you know, they will get it back in spades. >> some back and forth this

weekend between kentucky senator rand paul and new york congressman peter king. at the same time, rand paul has also set his sights on another high-profile republican, new jersey govern chris christie. their rival is partly about ideology. it may also be presidential ambitio ambitions. joining me now live, domini dominico montinero. >> rand paul has never shied away from a fight. you're going to see republicans like chris christie, pete king want to take shots. they don't want democrats to out-tough them when it comes to national security. let's say hillary clinton does decide to run. you know, she'd been traditionally known as a hawk on foreign policy, more so than even president obama had been. i think that's something that people like chris christie are concerned about. >> but, you know, here rand paul

in his response to some of the criticism that started out with national security and a very different view in the edward snowden saga and what it led to, to this wording by rand paul of the gimme, gimme, gimme regarding sandy. that cuts deep beyond politics. there are many people still trying to pick up the pieces and have a home to go to and are wounded by that storm. to hear that i'm sure would strike many republicans as precarious. >> as soon as i heard that, my red flag went up. i lived in that area in new jersey. my house was about four blocks from the bay where a couple of the towns have been destroyed there. you know, i had just been up there about a week ago. it was one of those things that perked my ears because it didn't quite seem related to what the initial arguments started on. this is going to be something

that, you know, for people who weren't paying attention, let's say, to the spat and they say well, you know, it's just an ideological rift, you start to bring in sandy or talk about tornado funding or talk about the earthquake in virginia where eric cantor wanted to cut off the funding there even though it happened in his district, when people start to hear those things, which is part of the government that most people do support something happening, i think that's when, you know, i'm not sure it's the best response from rand paul to make when he brings in sandy funding. >> especially when you go back to the point that christie -- this all started when he took a shot, if you will, at libertarians in congress for their support of the bill to defund the nsa. so you pivot to this and paint at group of people who are still, as we said, putting it back together, as folks who were gimme, gimme, gimme. that could be a big problem for senator paul. >> i think he would argue they

are related because, look, we're taking -- they want us to defund the nsa. well, you know, they're the ones who want to take money for all these other things that are pork laid than are big problems. that's what he would probably argue on that. yeah, i think when it comes to relief efforts, those are things that are generally widely supported. >> thank you so much. we'll see what happens next in that battle. a defiant anthony weiner was out meeting with voters again today despite more trouble in mi his campaign. this comes a day after his campaign manager resigned following new revelations of lewd behavior online. there's also new questions being raised about whether anthony weiner hired a private detective to investigate the leak of his own explicit photos two years ago. mr. weiner did not comment on that report and tried to deflect attention away from this scandal. >> i'm going to let the citizens of the city of new york decide who's going to be their mayor. i'm not going to ask pundits. i'm not going to ask other

politicians. i'm going to let the people decide. >> meanwhile on the other side of the country, san diego mayor bob filner is counting down the days until he enters a clinic for treatment amid allegations of sexual harassment, ongoing sexual harassment. senator diane feinstein has been the latest to join the chorus of voices calling for filner to step down. >> this kind of absence of a moral compass is subject to recall. i suspect there will be recalls. the people -- >> but you think he should make it easier and resign. >> i think he should make it easier and resign. that's right. >> joini inin ining me right no michael. the pundits have spoken. he's not listening. why not leave it to the voters? >> you know, he might be right. what's the downside now of continuing on and taking a drubing? at least he gets it out of his system.

the next time around he can argue that he's been sufficiently punished for what just went on. i don't think he wins this thing, but all the outsiders to new york city who were on the talk programs this sunday morning that, pend you lumbar might swing where new yorkers begin saying, enough already, let us make the decision, not all of you. >> lois, it's interesting. christine quinn over the weekend, i think, presented a smart strategy in that she didn't belabor this scandal thing, but she did bring up what she says anthony weiner's lack of qualifications for the job, his ineffective record, she points out, while in congress. let me play what she said. >> do i think he has the qualifications to be mayor of the city of new york? has he disqualified himself? yes. he's disqualified himself but not just because of these scandals. though, that certainly has. he didn't have the qualifications when he was in congress. >> and we hear very little from anthony weiner on that because of all of this sex scandal issue that's surrounding him.

that is certainly a legitimate way to hit him. i don't know how he strikes back with that fact. >> well, it's very legitimate. it's actually been quite lost in all of this. the man had a very weak record in congress. i think he passed maybe one bill in a dozen years. he was all bluster, all talk. so, you know, there was a real question of what he was doing and what business he had getting into such a serious race, compounding it, of course, is this bizarre activity. you know, to michael's point, he's got nothing to lose. that's true. but he's causing so much harm to everybody around him. he's not going to win. it's not going to turn around. he's harming his wife. he's harming his son. he's harming the political party. he's harming the clintons. he's harming everybody. it's really just a spectacle right now. >> and all of those things very well may be true, lois. but if he's able to stay in the

race, he's got the cash to do so, to his point -- >> but he's not going to win. >> to his point, who is it for you and other pundits or writers to tell him to get out of the race? he may lose, but he's not broken the law and he's not running, as he pointed out, for his peers. why isn't that a legitimate counter to all of the voices who say he should leave? i don't even know if you vote in new york, so he's not, you know, seeking, as he pointed out, affirmation from his peers. why not let him stay in the race at this point? >> i think the voters should decide. i'm certainly not telling him what to do. you asked me my opinion, and i'm just saying that, you know, basically he's -- i don't think he has a chance of winning at this point. i mean, he's going into these places. all these doing is standing behind his wife's skirt. yesterday he said people are speaking -- saying unspeakable things about her. no, they're not. they're saying unspeakable things about him. he's harming his own family. i think he knows this is his swan song, so he doesn't want to

get out. >> to your point, i don't think for a second you were making a personal attack. my point was simply that here is this guy, if he wants to stay in the race, losing never made anyone get out of the race. i mean, we've watched presidential campaigns where people knew that they were losing but they had a platform, which is what michael has kind of alluded may this the motivation for anthony weiner. he knows he's not going to win, but this gets him to stay in the game. i didn't want to imply you were attacking him. >> no, i understand. >> but michael, let me bring you in on this filner thing. they're put in the same back because they're both democrats. but filner may have been sexually harassing employees in had the workplace. this guy can't be alone with employees. how do you run city business when you can't be alone with a woman on city property? now he's checked into this rehab for a short period of time. >> if you asked me to rank the two of them, i mean, the whole weiner thing to me is just weird.

filner, i think, is far more significant and far more culpable because the allegations, as you point out, are that while in office, he was harassing colleagues. at least weiner was behavior among consenting adults. the filner thing is far more egregious. >> do you think both these men will be able to survive this, michael? >> i do not think that filner will survive it. i don't think weiner will win. my final point s weiner is the type who would rather be in the press and talked about in this horrible way than not in the press at all. >> all right. thank you, both, for your time. really appreciate it. lois, thank you. and there's a lot going on today. here are some things we just thought you should know. it's not just the democrats facing scandal. "the washington post" reports virginia republican govern bob mcdonald's wife spent nearly $10,000 on clothing with money from her husband's political action committee. now, it is legal under virginia's campaign finance laws.

the news also comes as the governor is already under investigation for accepting lavish gifts and $120,000 in loans from a wealthy political donor. and just minutes from now, president obama is scheduled to meet at the white house with civil rights leaders, attorney general eric holder also attending. they will discuss the future of the voting rights act in the wake of the supreme court's zigs to strike down the heart of that law. and right now a public memorial is under way in spain for the 79 people killed in that deadly train derailment. we'll get the latest, including what the conductor of the train is now saying partly caused the tragedy. [ male announcer ] what?! investors could lose tens of thousands of dollars in hidden fees on their 401(k)s?! go to e-trade and roll over your old 401(k)s to a new e-trade retirement account. none of them charge annual fees and all of them offer low cost investments. e-trade. less for us. more for you.

welcome back. a memorial service is underway in spain right now for the 79 people killed in last week's train crash. victims' family members are joined by spain's prime minister and members of the spanish royal family inside a cathedral not very far from where the

high-speed train derailed last wednesday. 70 passengers are still in the hospital. meanwhile, the driver of the train has been released on bail after being charged with 79 counts of negligent homicide. police spent two hours questioning him yesterday. nbc's mandy clark joins me now live from new york with more on the investigation. do we have anymore insight into what the conductor has told authorities that happened? >> well, we have a feeling from an eyewitness who had helped the driver immediately in the aftermath of the crash. the eyewitness said the driver had told him that he was very distraught, first of all. he told him he had to brake, but he couldn't do it. he kept repeating he wanted to die. the 52-year-old is suspected of driving too fast around a dangerous section of the line in northern spain, and there are reports that the train was traveling at 120 miles per hour. now, that's more than twice the speed limit when it entered the bend. it's not clear if the brakes failed or if they were never

used. so there are two separate investigations that are being carried out. one to look at the possible failings of the driver and the other to examine the train's speed regulation system to see if there was a technical malfunction that meant the driver was not warned to reduce his speed around the curve. now, experts will start examining the black box tomorrow. it's hoped the ochb-board recorder will offer clues on what really caused the disaster. >> all right, mandy clark live for us in london with the latest on that investigation. thanks, mandy. and do you remember this video? back in 2011 this uc davis police officer dousing peaceful student protesters with pepper spray. well, the officer was fired after the video went viral. so why is he now saying he deserves workers' comp? we'll be back. hey linda! what are you guys doing? having some fiber! with new phillips' fiber good gummies. they're fruity delicious! just two gummies have 4 grams of fiber!

to help support regularity! i want some... [ woman ] hop on over! [ marge ] fiber the fun way, from phillips'.

you can join the news nation

on twitter. you can find us @newsnation. if you have your phone in your hand right now, follow my team. greatly appreciated. the former university of california police officer who lost his job after spraying student demonstrators at uc davis with pepper spray is now appealing for worker's compensation. the incident of the video went viral back in 2011. it shows officer john pike spraying students with a can of pepper spray as they sat on ground peacefully. pike was suspended, ultimately left the force last summer after an investigation found his actions unwarranted. well, the university later agreed to pay a $1 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by 21 students, but pike now claims he suffered unspecified psychiatric and nervous system damage. pike's claim will be reviewed next month. basically, he's saying he was

traumatized by the incident in the aftermath. time now for the "news nation" gut check. we talked earlier about the remarks pope francis made today in regards to gay priests. he said he would not marginalize people for this. it was the first time a pope had spoken so openly on the subject. vatican analysts say it may be the opening for a more con sill tear attitude. the pope also said he wants an expanded role for women in the church. what does your gut tell you? will pope francis be able to change the direction of the catholic church? go to facebook.com/newsnation to cast that big vote. we'll check it out tomorrow. that does it for this edition of "news nation." i'm tamron hall. "the cycle" is up next. ♪

♪ [ male announcer ] it started long ago. the joy of giving something everything you've got. it takes passion. and it's not letting up anytime soon. if you're eligible for medicare, you might know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans, they help pay some of the difference. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs.

you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and you never need a referral to see a specialist. so don't wait. call now to request a free decision guide to help you understand medicare. and which aarp medicare supplement plan might work best for you. there's a range to choose from, depending on your needs and your budget. and they all travel with you -- anywhere in the country. best of all, you'll be joining the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. ♪ remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you'll be able to choose any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. and you never need referrals.

so call now to request a free decision guide and learn more. after all, when you're going the distance, it's nice to have the experience and commitment to go along with you. keep dreaming. keep doing. go long. o0 c1 ♪ and now there's a new way to do the same for your dog. introducing new purina dog chow light & healthy. it's a no-sacrifices, calorie-light way to help keep him trim, with a deliciously tender and crunchy kibble blend he'll love. and 22% fewer calories than dog chow. discover the lighter side of strong. new purina dog chow light & healthy. i'm toure. in "the cycle" today, politics as usual. in 2013, that means nothing gets done,